Just to Hear You Say
by Merc
Summary: The prologue takes place during the Sailor Moon Super S movie and afterwards, Usagi is in big trouble. Can Mamoru figure out how to save her in time?
1. The Black Dream Hole

Title: Just to Hear You Say  
Chapter: Prologue- The Black Dream Hole  
Author: Merc  
Rating: PG  
E-mail: MoonGirl015@yahoo.com  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon...*insane grin* But I will...someday...(j/k)  
Author's Notes:   
  
Another Day, Another Story. This is going to be a several part story. Hopefully it'll turn out as good as it does in my head. Time for some explaining! The better portion of this story takes place after the third Sailor Moon Movie. Right now, the story is basically picking up in the middle of the movie (in the middle of one of the scenes, so don't get TOO confused! ^^;) And will go to the end where chapter one will continue the rest. Ummm...yeah, I guess I'll say this now. I know people like the Japanese names, so I'm gonna use them, but remember people...I am only lucky enough to be able to watch this in N.A. dub...so if I accidentally use the dubbed names, tell me! Oh! And before I go...let me say this: ENJOY THE STORY!!!!!!!   
  
~Merc  
  
P.S. I have NO clue what Badiyanu's name is in Japanese...so I'm using her N.A. dubbed name...same goes for Peru Peru. (^^; At least I THINK that's how you spell his N.A. dubbed name.)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where is Chibi-Usa? And the other children?" The look in Usagi's eyes brought a chill up her spine, but she would never let the warrior know the fear that was coursing through her. 'The look in her eyes...such determination.' She smirked. What was she thinking? This childish girl was no match to the power of the black dream hole.   
  
"All of them rest in a peaceful sleep while the black dream hole feeds on their dream energy. And it will all be complete with the help of this little girl." Badiyanu held out her hand as a ball of energy formed, perfectly fitting the size of it. The light soon departed leaving only a thin barrier incasing the petite pink-haired girl dressed in a sailor outfit that matched her tresses.  
  
"Chibi-Usa!" Usagi almost wept out of the complete joy of knowing her daughter was alive and safe.  
  
"Usagi!" No words were spoken for a brief moment as each girl happily smiled at the other. Chibi-Usa was the first to break it. Leaning back she crossed her arms as if disappointed and slightly annoyed. "You're late."  
  
Usagi smiled. "Sorry about that. But I'm glad to see you're alright."  
  
"Enough jibber-jabber! The black dream hole is waiting!" The barrier that surrounded Chibi-Usa was quickly crushed under the strength of the large women as she squeezed tightly onto her prize.   
  
The pressure put onto her fragile body was no longer bearable and Chibi-Usa cried out in the sheer pain of it all. "MOMMA!!!!" The hold on her grew stronger and no longer was she able to produce coherent words. Her body screamed at her to fight back, to make the pain stop, while her mind cried out to give into the darkness that was beckoning her. Only then would she find the release from all the pain. 'I'm sorry momma. I can't fight it anymore. I'm sorry...' And with those last thoughts, she gave into the darkness, the sailor outfit turning into pink ribbons not long after.  
  
"Chibi-Usa! No!" Usagi cried out desperately to her future daughter as her body went limp, but no response was returned. Fear and anger began to flood her every thought and she charged unknowingly at the large woman placed before her. Running next to her was the small boy, Peru Peru, who had, within the past day, become a good friend of Chibi-Usa's. With one leap she and Peru Peru went flying towards their intended target when a barricade sent both soaring back only to skid on the ground they had previously charged on.  
  
"You silly girl!" The evil laughter filled the area around them and caused everyone to shudder. "Did you really think I would make it that easy for you to spoil my plans? And as for you Peru Peru," Badiyanu's smile turned into a glare. "I will deal with you when I am finally the ruler of this vulnerable planet."   
  
"Not so fast!" Peru Peru turned towards Usagi full of determination. "Sailor Moon, if we use my gondola, maybe we could break through her barrier." Sailor Moon nodded. The large ship lay just beyond the scouts. Most of the extra pieces had broken off when they had been attacked earlier, but the main part was still intact. Peru Peru took off running towards it and Usagi followed close behind. Using his flute Peru Peru directed the boat up to become face to face with the woman he had once believed was good. Reaching behind his back, he let the flute disappear. "If we use our good energy and thoughts, we'll be able to direct the gondola." Both grabbed onto the front edge as the boat proceeded forward.  
  
"You're more stupid than I thought! Do you really think that gondola will be able to break my barrier? How foolish of you!" Badiyanu sneered. "No matter, soon enough both of you will be out of my way."   
  
The boat began to break as they drew closer to their intended target. Shattered pieces crashed to the floor and soon the only intact piece of the ship was the small head that had been placed at the front of it. Clinging on firmly were Peru Peru and Sailor Moon, now on the other side of the barrier.   
  
"It can't be!" Shock and fear set in as Badiyanu grabbed tighter onto the small girl. "I won't let you take away my victory!" She took off, Chibi-Usa in hand, towards the black dream hole that was forming in the sky above them.   
  
"We have to follow her!" Usagi frantically cried out. Peru Peru only nodded as they went flying quickly after her.  
  
Badiyanu looked back and noticed the two rapidly gaining on her. 'I won't let them spoil my plan!' Growling she increased her speed.  
  
At first Usagi was surprised when Badiyanu took off faster than she could have thought possible, but the faster Badiyanu went, the more persistent Usagi became. Grabbing on as tight as she could, she focused all of her thoughts on saving Chibi-Usa and finally going home to help Mamoru recover. The small piece of gondola increased its speed enough to pull ahead of the unusually large woman.  
  
"Stop right there!" Usagi glared down at the frustrated face of Badiyanu and then let her eyes drift towards the small girl in Badiyanu's right hand. Chibi-Usa began to stir and soon her eyes fluttered open to meet that of her mother's. "Momma." She smiled, content with being able to see her mother again.  
  
Badiyanu frowned. She couldn't let this child wake up. Her plan depended on the unconscious state she was in. Then, and only then, would she be able to drain all of her dream energy. Growling slightly she sent a wave of pain coursing through Chibi-Usa's body. The pink-haired girl cried out slightly and fell limply back in her hand again.  
  
"Chibi-Usa!" Tears threatened to fill Usagi's eyes, but she pushed them back. She would not be emotional at a time when Chibi-Usa needed her most.   
  
Badiyanu began to laugh. "And now, the final preparations!" Taking one last glance at the two nuisances ahead of her, she took off and allowed her body to be swallowed by the energy of the black dream hole, Chibi-Usa in hand.  
  
"Chibi-Usa! No!" Usagi began to move the gondola when Peru Peru stopped her.   
  
"No Sailor Moon! You can't go in there! Anyone who enters the black dream hole can never come out alive!" Usagi was about to protest when a gust of wind cut her off. The head of the gondola rocked back and forth as if it were purposely trying to knock Sailor Moon and the small fairy boy off. 'It's coming from the black dream hole,' Usagi noted as she struggled to hold on.   
  
"Oh no! My cookies!" Usagi lifted her head at the sound of Peru Peru's voice just in time to see the bag of cookies Chibi-Usa had made earlier flying off. Reaching up she caught the bag before it could fly any farther.   
  
"These were Chibi-Usa's cookies!" Untying them, Usagi pulled one out holding it in front of her face for Peru Peru to see. "These cookies will increase a person's strength ten-fold." Handing the bag of cookies back to Peru Peru she ate the one she had just pulled out, savoring its sweet taste. "Chibi-Usa, I'm coming for you." And with those last words, she jumped in the air and allowed the black dream hole to pull her in. She could faintly hear the cries of protest coming from Peru Peru before the world around her disappeared.   
  
The heat from inside the black dream hole began to burn at her skin and caused her to become slightly drowsy. She shook it off when she heard Badiyanu's laughter in the distance. "You fool! You have just ensured your own death! There is nothing you can do to stop me now!" The laughter faded.   
  
Usagi began to kick her feet, as if she were swimming, in the direction she thought the voice had come from. 'Don't worry Chibi-Usa I'll save you. Mamoru is counting on me.' Tears stung her eyes at the thought of Mamoru worrying about Chibi-Usa. She knew she had no right to be jealous, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if Mamoru cared about Chibi-Usa more than herself. She shook the thought from her head. Right now was no time to be thinking about that. With a new determination, Usagi began to kick her legs harder. The sooner she found Chibi-Usa, the better.   
  
***  
  
Peru Peru held on tightly to the gondola. "Sailor Moon...why did you go in there?" His body began to shake as he thought of all the horrible things Badiyanu was doing. No longer able to hold it in, Peru Peru silently cried over the realization that he had fallen for all of her lies, finally hit him. "Badiyanu!!!" His vision became blurred, but he no longer cared. 'All is lost now.'   
  
***   
  
A small figure off in the distance caught Usagi's attention. 'Could that be Chibi-Usa?' She shook her head. It couldn't be. 'But,' she decided, 'to be on the safe side, I should go and check it out.' She began to kick harder, and as she got closer, she realized that it was, indeed, Chibi-Usa. When Chibi-Usa was just barely in front of her, Usagi reached her arms out and took hold of her daughter's limp body. Her skin, Usagi noted, was as cold as ice, despite the heat of the black dream hole. She held Chibi-Usa's body close to her to try and warm her. 'Something about this isn't right.' She stared down at Chibi-Usa, the frown on her own face matched that of her daughter's. 'It was too easy to get her back.' She lightly shook her the loose body. "Chibi-Usa, Chibi-Usa! Wake up! You need to wake up!"  
  
"Why are you trying to remove her from her happy dreams? She has had a long day. She needs her rest!" Laughter filled the air causing a slight chill to run down Usagi's back. She turned in the direction the voice had come from and gasped at what she saw. To her surprise, she was back in Mamoru's apartment. A soft song played in the background and, she noticed, Mamoru was lying in his bed just as she had left him.   
  
"Mamo-chan..." The whispered word escaped her mouth before she could stop it. But even as soft as it had been, Mamoru's eyes fluttered open when it reached his ears.   
  
"Usako?" He removed the covers from on top of him and sat up. "What are you doing here?" Swinging his legs over the side of the bed he stood up. For a brief moment Mamoru's eyes had wandered down to the pink-haired girl, but, much to Usagi's surprise, quickly came back to hers. A smile crossed his face and his ocean-blue eyes sparkled even in the dim light of the room. "And why are you and Chibi-Usa transformed? Not that I have any objection to that, I always did like the way that sailor outfit looked on you, but is there trouble?"   
  
Usagi nodded. "Hai. There's an evil lady trying to take the energy away from little children. She put a spell on all of them, including Chibi-Usa! I tried calling to her, but she didn't..." She was cut short as Mamoru took the little girl from her arms and placed her on the bed.   
  
"Don't worry Usako. Everything is all right now. Let Chibi-Usa rest! She's probably having a nice dream." He placed the blankets over Chibi-Usa's sleeping form.  
  
"But Mamo-chan! What about the other scouts?" He walked behind her and circled his arms around her waste, resting his head on her shoulder. 'This feels so good. I wish I could stay like this forever.' She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes, feeling safe in his arms.  
  
"I don't really care about them."  
  
Her eyes shot open. That wasn't what she had expected. "Mamo-chan! But they're our friends! And what about the other children? Their parents are probably worried sick!"   
  
"As long as I have you, it's all right. You're the only one I care about. You know, I worry about your safety all the time."  
  
She shook her head. 'This isn't like Mamo-chan. It's almost like he is trying to distract me so I don't get in the way of some...' Her eyes narrowed. "Badiyanu." The word came out more like a growl, but Usagi didn't care.   
  
"What did you say Usako?"  
  
Blinking a couple times, Usagi recovered and quickly came up with a different answer. "I said, who do you love most Mamo-chan? Me or Chibi-Usa? And please, be honest!" The events from earlier that morning flooded Usagi's mind. 'If this isn't the real Mamo-chan, this test will prove it.'   
  
"Well, that's easy. You of course. How could I love Chibi-Usa more? After all, she's only my daughter. You're my love of many lifetimes!"   
  
She walked away from him, saddened that she had to leave such a perfect dream, but knowing her duty to her loved ones came before everything else, including, God forbid, sleeping. Picking Chibi-Usa up off the bed she turned back to Mamoru. "Uh, Mamo-chan?" He looked a little surprised by her actions. "Even in my dreams you're just too good to be true." His eyes widened and his mouth dropped. The soft music that had previously been playing stopped.   
  
"Silver Crystal, please give me the strength I need to break away from this dream!" The crystal inside of the locket began to glow. The energy passed through Usagi and cleared away the vision of Mamoru. 'This is taking so much energy. Why? Why is it so hard to wake up?' "Please Silver Crystal! For the ones I love!" She poured out all of her energy into the process of breaking free. "Moon Crystal - Power!" Using the last of her strength, the Silver Crystal finally completed its command. The dream box that had encased Usagi shattered and Usagi, very drained, fell out with Chibi-Usa still in her arms.   
  
(AN: Hai. I know she doesn't use the Silver Crystal to escape, but for the purposes of my story, she has to...you'll understand why in later chapters...^^)  
  
"You fool! Why would you want to escape your own dream? Was it not perfect? You should have accepted your fate! I gave you the chance to die happy! I'll make you regret not taking that opportunity!"   
  
Usagi shook her head. "I wouldn't have been happy if I had died without my friends!" She glared at the direction the voice had come from. What she found was a large ball of fire. Badiyanu stood just in front of it. 'That must be the center of the black dream hole. If I used my powers and broke through that, maybe I'd be able to beat her.' She looked down at Chibi-Usa. "I have no other choice." She looked back at the ball. Without any regrets, she began to kick her legs. She knew, with as weak as she was and with the heat of the black dream hole putting drowsiness upon her, she wouldn't reach her destination for a while, but that was all right. She needed to form a plan and now was as good a time as any to do that.  
  
***   
  
The scouts stared up at the black dream hole. It had been a long time since they had seen Usagi jump in, and all were starting to get worried.   
  
"Something is happening! Usagi is using the Silver Crystal!" The other scouts gasped. Sailor Mars continued to use her psychic power to trace Usagi's energy.   
  
"No! She can't do that! It'll take all of her energy just to get out of that black dream hole! How can she get out if she uses all her energy up now?" Jupiter began to pace back and forth in frustration.  
  
"She's trying to break out of an evil spell. But for some reason, the silver crystal isn't strong enough to do it." Rei's calm face became contorted into one of pain. "Usagi, no!" Her link suddenly broke and Rei fell to the ground gasping for breath.  
  
"Rei!" Ami was quickly by Rei's side typing rapidly into her computer.  
  
"Rei, what was it?" Minako helped her friend back up to her feet.   
  
Makoto stared blankly past the senshi of Mars. "Are you three all right?" The three outer senshi made no move or sound to answer Makoto's questions causing more confusion to enter the lightening senshi's mind. Uranus and Pluto stood quietly around Neptune. All of them stared down at the mirror in Neptune's hands. Their faces all held the same expression, one of worry and confusion.  
  
"Usagi is in trouble." Neptune looked up from her mirror and expectantly towards Mars.   
  
Mars nodded. "She broke free, but the Silver crystal used so much energy I don't know how much damage it all caused. But what really bothers me is that the silver crystal *needed* to use that much energy in the first place." She walked slowly towards the outers, Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus close behind her.  
  
"But now that she is free, she's going to try and defeat Badiyanu." Mars stopped, her eyes widening. "But she can't! She's almost completely drained! If anything goes wrong, she'll die for sure!"   
  
Uranus stomped her foot. "That Baka! She shouldn't have gone in there alone! What kind of a leader leaves her friends behind?"   
  
Ami turned to Pluto, her eyes enlarged as she realized that Pluto was shaking. "Pluto! What's wrong?"  
  
Pluto turned her worried eyes up to Ami. "Usagi...something is wrong with time..." She collapsed to the floor, her body shaking uncontrollably.   
  
"Pluto!" Ami ran to her fallen friend and immediately began to analyze her. Something was wrong, and even though she didn't know what it was, she could tell it was serious.  
  
***   
  
'Almost there.' Usagi fought to keep her eyes open as she made her way to the glowing sphere.   
  
"Are you still trying to beat me?" The same chilling laughter as before filled the area. "I must admit you're braver than you look. But in the end, not even bravery can save you. You should have given up the girl when you had the chance!" Badiyanu's evil smile filled Usagi's vision and soon the rather large woman seemed to melt into the burning ball behind her. A pair of glowing eyes shot open revealing a pair of glowing eyes, almost as if the sphere had become Badiyanu's face. "Now, your time has come Sailor Moon! Die!"   
  
A column of fire shot directly at Usagi, but just before it hit she turned away, flying forward under the force that occurred when the blaze had made contact with her body. The flames spread over her back and legs causing her entire backside to burn with pain. The flames ate away at her sailor outfit exposing some of Usagi's bare skin. So much pain would normally have put her in an unconscious state, but this time she struggled to stay awake. Looking down she checked on her still-sleeping daughter. The fire had not gotten to Chibi-Usa as far as she could tell, which drew a sigh of relief from Usagi. Positive that Chibi-Usa would be fine, Usagi held on tighter.   
  
"Still alive? Not for long!" Again a pillar of fire shot out at Usagi. She braced herself waiting for the pain. But no matter how much she had prepared herself, the attack came as a surprise and the pain felt as if it had doubled. Again, she held on tighter to Chibi-Usa as she went flying forward. Again and again the attacks rushed at her and Chibi-Usa trying to separate the two, and at one point had almost been successful. Her screams of pain were the only things she could hear. In a way she was thankful for that since she no longer had to listen to the unsettling laughter of Badiyanu but she feared that if things kept on going as they were, she wouldn't be able to ignore the darkness calling to her.  
  
Before the next attack came, she called out to her friends. 'Scouts, please listen to me! I need your help! Please, lend Chibi-Usa and me your strength! We needs you now!' She waited, as another attack hit her, for the power she had requested. She was slipping closer to unconsciousness.  
  
***   
  
"Usagi!" Sailor Mars tried to desperately call out to her friend's voice, but nothing answered her back. Turning, she faced the other scouts. "You heard her! Her and Chibi-Usa need us!" The others nodded.   
  
"Mars Crystal - Power!" The symbol of Mars appeared on her forehead glowing a bright red. It created a beam of red-hot light that flowed swiftly towards the sphere in the sky. It didn't take the other scouts long to follow her example.  
  
"Venus Crystal - Power!" She smiled slightly as the symbol of everything she loved, everything she stood for appeared on her forehead as it had on Rei's. The soft orange glow caused a warm sensation to run through Minako's body and she channeled it into rescuing Usagi. A ray of orange streamed out, running next to Rei's red one.  
  
"Mercury Crystal - Power!" A wave of energy washed over her as the symbol of Mercury appeared on her forehead. The power was so inviting and so warm, she noted as a smile became visible. The soft light took off after Rei and Minako's adding to the growing colors.  
  
"Jupiter Crystal - Power!" Makoto's respective color appeared creating the green symbol on her forehead. She was slightly jealous of Usagi for not letting them in on the action, but it could be forgiven. Right now, she needed to focus on getting her friend out. She released he energy and allowed it to join the Rei, Minako, and Ami's energy.  
  
"Uranus Crystal - Power!" The rush of energy increased Haruka's need for action. The symbol on her forehead flashed a bright color across her forehead. Letting the energy fly off with the rest Haruka sighed slightly. The best she could do for now was to allow her friend to use this energy for any battle that might occur. If she was lucky enough, Usagi wouldn't completely finish this off on her own.   
  
"Neptune Crystal - Power!" Neptune could feel the sea of energy that pooled inside her to release itself. Wave upon wave of warm energy came forth revealing her own symbol. She reached out her should and poured as much as she could into protecting her princess. The soft energy joined the other colors in the sky.   
  
"Pluto Crystal - Power!" The keeper of time shuddered slightly at the release of energy. She hadn't recovered fully from the episode that had happened earlier, and images still haunted her visions. But she would give any amount of energy to set things back to the way they had been. The colorful beam shot out of her forehead and finished joining the others in the sky. Finally complete, the energy found its way into the dark ball in the sky.  
  
***  
  
In between the assaults thrown at her, Usagi's body began to glow as the power from the scouts finally came to her. The warm light encased her and she closed her eyes in pure bliss. If only she didn't have to let go of this feeling! After a moment of reveling in the inviting light she summoned her crystal. The energy she had just received began to channel itself into the crystal and Usagi willed it to flow from the crystal in her locket to surround Chibi-Usa. As Chibi-Usa's body began accepting the energy, the ribbons that covered her small body changed back into her sailor outfit. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as the last of the energy flowed out of Usagi's locket.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Chibi-Usa smiled up at her future mother. "Momma! I knew you'd save me! That evil lady was going to steal my energy from me! But I knew you'd find me and stop her." She smiled proudly up at her.  
  
Usagi smiled back. "Chibi-Usa..." The burns finally took the best of her and Usagi's body began to ache. She bent over from pain as she started to tremble. Her hand came up to clutch at her locket pleading to the crystal to stop the pain. She cried out when the crystal refused to use any more energy. The pain became unbearable and the darkness beckoned to her, but she wouldn't let it take her until she was safe in Tokyo with her friends. She also had a duty to the children and their families. Her breath came out heavy as the last of the pain swept away. The sound of Chibi-Usa's worried voice became clear as she finally recovered.  
  
"Momma! Talk to me! MOMMA!" Chibi-Usa quickly took hold of her mother's trembling form when she got a feeble noise from the warrior. "Are you all right?"   
  
Usagi smiled weakly up at her. Her body still shivered from the results of the pain, but she couldn't think about that right now. "I'm fine Chibi-Usa. Using the Silver Crystal has just drained me out, that's all. I'll be ok in a few hours. Let's just beat Badiyanu once and for all." Chibi-Usa nodded back to her, worry was evident on her face. "Ready?"  
  
"Whenever you are momma!"   
  
"Then let's go!" Summoning their wands, Sailor Moon And Sailor Mini Moon took off towards the ball of fire, calling out their attack in unison.  
  
"Moon Gorgeous - Meditation!"   
  
They shot through the center of the black dream hole and back out into the cool night air. They smiled at each other when they heard the desperate cries of Badiyanu fading away. The battle was over.   
  
***   
  
Peru Peru lifted his tear-stained face up when he heard Badiyanu's cries of pain echoing through the air. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon glowing against the black sky.  
  
His open mouth quickly turned into a smile and he began to cry out of joy. "Sailor Moon! You broke through the black dream hole! You did it!" A pair of rainbow-colored wings appeared on his back. He turned his head back to look at the wings, very confused with why they would appear so suddenly. He quickly forgot about his own questions when he heard the cries of Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon. He snapped his head back and noticed they were falling from where he had last seen them. Standing on his feet he pushed off of his gondola, or what was left of it, and flew after them, catching both of them before they could fall to the ground. He swiftly flew to a gondola nearby that held the other scouts inside. Slowly he backed away as the other scouts rushed to their friends. He'd let the others make sure they were all right.  
  
***   
  
Sailor Moon used Mars as a support for her weak legs as she waited for Chibi-Usa to finish her conversation with Peru Peru. She smiled slightly as her daughter leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. She was about to call out to Chibi-Usa that it was time to go when Peru Peru flew into the air. A blush covered his cheeks as he kept his hand where Chibi-Usa had kissed him. A few more words were said between the two before Peru Peru took off. Though Usagi couldn't hear the conversation from where she was, she could tell that Chibi-Usa would never see Peru Peru again, at least not in reality.   
  
She held out her free hand for her daughter to take a hold of and Chibi-Usa came running up to grab it. "Before we teleport back, I want everyone to promise me something." She stared seriously at the group of scouts, still using Mars for support. "For reasons I don't care to explain because I know each of you would get on my case about it, I don't want Mamoru to know anything about..." She fell to her knees as the pain from the burns on her back flooded over her body.   
  
"Usagi!" Ami rushed over to her friend. Taking out her computer she began to type. "This isn't good!"  
  
"What is it Ami?" Minako came over and tried to read the words on Ami's computer screen, but failed miserably.  
  
"The silver crystal isn't healing Usagi's body. I don't know why, but these burns seem to be increasing in size." Usagi stood up but immediately fell back down because her legs were too shaky.   
  
"I'm all right, it'll be all right. They aren't that serious..."  
  
"Usagi, these are very serious!" Ami protested.  
  
"They aren't serious!" Usagi's tone dared anyone to try and convince her otherwise.   
  
Ami backed away to where she had previously stood. "You're right Usagi. They aren't that serious." Ami's voice and facial expression told everyone the opposite.  
  
"Usagi, don't be such a baka! You need to see a doctor!" Rei's fiery temper took the best of her.  
  
"Will you just listen to me?!" Everyone became quiet with surprise at Usagi's sudden outburst. "I don't want Mamoru to find out about this. None of you will tell him that something is wrong. All of us will act normal around him, all right?"   
  
Minako stepped forward. "But..." When Usagi glared at her, she stepped back and nodded her head. "All right."  
  
"Momma, you're being unfair! Daddy has a right to know about this. And you need to see a doctor."  
  
"Chibi-Usa, don't argue with me."  
  
"I will argue! You're worrying me! What if you die? Have you ever thought about that? What if the future changes because you wanted to be a baka? Do you want that?" Tears started streaming down her face.   
  
"Oh Chibi-Usa. The reason I'm doing this is *for* the future. Can't you see that? I can't live my future with lies and questions. This will help put things in their place. You'll understand some day. When I explain it to you." She looked up at the rest of the scouts. "To all of you. Please, as your princess and friend, I ask you all to keep this from Mamoru." The group stared quietly at her, but, honoring her wishes they all agreed. Rei silently helped Usagi up and took hold of her hand. Smiling Usagi took Chibi-Usa's hand into her free one. The rest of the scouts connected hands as well. "Good, let's go home now."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
^^ Ok, so that was a long prologue, and I know it follows a lot of the movie...I just needed to set up my story! And, as confusing as it might be right now, it'll all become clear in a few chapters...or maybe in chapter one...*shrugs* I don't know. But, I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you like chapter one too. I'll talk to y'all later! Ja!  
  
~Merc  
  
P.S. E-mail is good stuff...and so are people's reviews...but bad reviews aren't so good...if you have some problem with my story (like...if you really hate it and you want to tell me) PLEASE...send it in e-mail!   



	2. Secrets

Title: Just to Hear You Say  
Chapter: One - Secrets  
Author: Merc  
Rating: PG  
E-mail: MoonGirl015@yahoo.com  
Disclaimer: I own Sailor Moon. *Nods* Yup! I do! In my dreams! Unfortunately, Naoko owns it in reality.  
Author's Notes:   
  
*grins* You know what's different about this story verses my other stories? (And no, it's not the plot line). With my other ones, they're either one part stories, or I've written all of the chapters at once, so I could post them whenever. But with this one, once I've finished this chapter, I'm gonna post it...before I finish writing the rest! ^^; Ok, so I'm just a little on the weird side right now...can you blame me? Hint: You're supposed to say no to that. Well, now that I'm done with that, I can tell you this. This is where the story changes slightly. I don't think there'll be any more fighting in this story, but I could be wrong. Um...let's see...well, I think everything will explain itself in here...but uh, if you have questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me and ask! Again, I hope you like this story. So stop reading this and start reading the actual story! Go!  
  
~Merc  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Usagi fell to the floor. The pain had increased so much, she had almost backed out of her plan and gone to the hospital, but her heart told her to stick with it. And more often than not, she listened to her heart. She crawled to the bathroom, teeth clenched as the movement added to her pain. Nobody was home right now; Luna had mumbled something about an important meeting with Artemis before she took off and Chibi-Usa had gone with the rest of the family for ice cream. Usagi had known better than to go. If her parents saw her in this condition they'd worry too much. After all, it wasn't *that* serious. Chibi-Usa had suggested that she stay home with Usagi, but Usagi automatically denied it.   
  
"You'd regret not being able to eat sweets, so why don't you go have an ice cream cone for me?" That's what she had told the pink-haired girl, and Chibi-Usa only nodded sadly as she turned and left with the others.  
  
Usagi grabbed on tightly to the counters edge in the bathroom, using all of her strength to pull herself up. Her eyes squeezed shut when the tears sprang to them. Her body protested the movement. Turning her back towards the mirror, Usagi lifted her shirt and twisted her head around in order to examine the damage of the burns. Sighing, she allowed her shirt to fall back into its normal place. "They're still growing." She rolled up her sleeves and examined her arms. The burns were beginning to spread to the areas that hadn't even come near the flames. She reached out a finger and lightly brushed one of the new burns forming on her right arm. She immediately regretted the action and tensed up as the pain surged through her arm causing her back to start throbbing in pain as well.  
  
Again she fell to the floor. Her breath came out short and her hands clenched into fists against the soft carpeting. Rolling down her sleeve after the pain had slightly subsided she stood shakily onto her feet and walked down the stairs, making sure to hold on tightly to the banister so she wouldn't fall. Reaching the bottom, she walked slowly to where her shoes were placed and stepped into them. The walk would be long and would most likely cause her a great deal of pain, but she decided, it would be worth it if she could see Mamoru even for a short while.   
  
Reaching out a shaking arm, she opened the front door. A breeze came at her and the sunshine warmed her face, but none of this was noticed as Usagi practically crawled down the sidewalk towards Mamoru's apartment. "Why does he have to live so far away?" Usagi mumbled as she continued on her quest. The people around her stared slightly confused at her when she fell against the wall and began to softly sob. A young woman came and put her hand on Usagi's shoulder causing a cry of pain to escape her lips. The woman quickly took her hand off. "Are you all right?"  
  
Usagi only nodded. "I'll be fine in a second." She began to take deep breaths in and out while she tried to focus on the world around her.   
  
"Maybe you should see a doctor?"  
  
Usagi looked up at her, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Maybe you're right." She pushed away from the wall and began to walk again. She could feel the eyes of the woman following her, but she didn't care. She was almost half way to Mamoru's apartment. She focused her attention on the object of her affection.   
  
Mamoru was still recovering from the attack from the two days ago, though his wounds were almost completely healed. She had visited him yesterday, but he didn't take notice of her wounds. And the scouts, who had joined her, gave away no clue about it. Usagi smiled slightly. She was glad she could trust her friends. She knew they didn't understand why she was doing this, but that was all right. The main thing was that Mamoru not find out anything about it. She was going to keep it a secret from him for a long time. In fact, he might not ever know about it...if the scouts didn't tell him. And she knew they wouldn't do that unless things got out of control, and so far things were very much under control. Or so she tried to convince herself.  
  
***   
  
Luna stared seriously at the others in the room. "How could all of you have agreed to such a stupid thing? And why is Usa being such a baka?" Artemis came over and rub his furry chin against Luna's trying his hardest to calm her but failing miserably.  
  
"I'm telling you Luna, the look in her eyes was filled with sadness and pain, but also with determination and hope. It wasn't something we could have denied easily, whether or not it was stupid." Rei pointed out. The others nodded, clearly agreeing with the priestess.  
  
"If you asked me, I would say that this situation has something to do with the matters of the heart." Everyone but Rei looked questioningly at Minako's troubled face.  
  
Artemis didn't often question his charge, but her reasoning didn't make any sense. "How do you know Minako?"   
  
"Did you forget that I am the senshi of love? These things are my specialty. I don't know how this could possibly help their relationship, but I'm almost completely sure it's for that reason. She must not feel the relationship is going in a good direction. I felt tension before, but it wasn't anything to worry about."  
  
Rei nodded. "The sacred fire told me the same thing, Minako. But whenever I try to get deeper into the problem, the only thing that comes up is a picture of Chibi-Usa. It's beginning to trouble me." She sighed and threw her arms into the air. "Why is this so confusing??"  
  
Luna shook her head. "Maybe it would be best if we told Mamoru."  
  
"That's easier said than done." Everyone lifted their head to look at the only two outer senshi who could make it to the meeting. Pluto had said that there were important things to tend to at the time gate and she'd catch them if she finished in time.   
  
"What do you mean Haruka? How hard could it be if your princess' life was in danger?"  
  
"What she means Luna," Michiru piped in, "is that we promised Usagi something and Usagi is putting her trust in us. Breaking that trust would bring down the way Usagi looked at us."  
  
"Well, some promises are meant to be broken." Luna whispered to herself. The room inside Rei's shrine fell silent as everyone secretly wished things could go back to the way they had been before.  
  
***   
  
She stopped in front of the rather large building. Looking up, she could see the planters on Mamoru's balcony that held his red roses inside. They had always been his favorite flowers, and those particular ones meant a lot to him, since they were a gift from Chibi-Usa and herself, at least that's what he had told her. And up until recently, she had no reason to doubt him or she had been so love sick not to find one.   
  
Looking back at the glass doors that would lead into the very nice building, Usagi took one last breath and proceeded inside. She passed the front desk where a very confused looking lady sat trying to figure something out. Usagi didn't recognize her, so she must have been new. Someday she'd have to go up and introduce herself. She turned her attention from the lady at the desk to just behind the desk where the elevators were located. One of them opened as a group of people came out. Usagi made it just in time to catch it. Inside she pressed the button with the number 8 painted on and backed away to the handles attached to the side of the elevator. Even before this previous battle, elevators had always made her slightly dizzy, but now, the combination of both the dizziness and the pain could cause a lot of problems. Her grip on the metal bars tightened. The reflections caught Usagi's attention and she looked at her own reflection in the side of the elevator. Her eyes drifted downward to where her hand rested and they suddenly narrowed. A small burn had made its way on to it somehow. 'But how can that be? It hadn't been there when I left.' A soft 'ding' informed her that the elevator had reached the intended level. She made a note to herself to visit Ami sometime in the near future and stepped off.   
  
She began to count the doors, stopping in front of the third one. Taking a deep breath in, she reached up her hand and knocked as hard as she normally did. The pain began to coarse through her arm and she almost fell to the floor. She clenched her fist and tightly shut her eyes, willing the pain to go away. Soft footprints brought her out of everything and she quickly put on a smile that could have fooled even her friends. She braced herself when Mamoru opened the door.   
  
"Mamo-chan!" She rushed to him and hugged him wincing at the pain it caused her. She held on to him tighter as he wrapped his arms around her this body.   
  
"Well, Hello to you too Usako!" He smiled, not noticing the tightening of her grip. "What brings you here today?" He took her hand and automatically noticed the grimace it brought to her face. "Usako, what's wrong?"  
  
She shook her head regretting the small action, but trying hard not to give it away. "Nothing's wrong Mamo-chan! I'm perfectly fine!" She smiled and giggled slightly to emphasize her protest. His eyebrows came together in confusion, but he dropped it. If it was something serious, he knew she'd tell him. He motioned into his living room with one hand and allowed her to walk past him. Shutting the door, he followed her inside. When she stop he wrapped his arms around her waste and rested his head on her shoulder, much like in her dream while facing Badiyanu. This time she couldn't help but let out a tiny cry of objection. She kicked herself. 'When it feels perfect, it turns out it's a dream. When the real thing actually happens, it's too painful to enjoy.' She sighed under her breath out of frustration.  
  
"Usako, now I know something is wrong."   
  
She shook her head. "Honestly Mamo-chan, nothing is wrong!" She kicked herself. 'When it feels perfect, it turns out it's a dream. When the real thing actually happens, it's too painful to enjoy.' She sighed under her breath out of frustration.  
  
He groaned. "Fine Usagi," She winced, "if you won't tell me I'll drop it. But I'm sure the other girls will tell me if something is wrong."  
  
She looked down. He was right. If he did ask the girls, one of them was bound to give in and tell him. She cursed herself and the situation under her breath before turning her attention back to him. "If you really want to know Mamo-chan, I'll tell you." She looked up at him. His eyes held a look of expectation. Closing her eyes she licked her lips. She was ready now to start explainging.  
  
***   
  
"Usagi! Usagi, where are you?" Chibi-Usa searched everywhere in her "cousin's" room for what seemed to be a missing person. She fell to her hands and knees to search underneath Usagi's bed. "Yuck! There's so much junk under here!" Getting back up she brushed herself off and walked back down the soft-carpeted stairs. "Auntie Ikuko? Did Usagi tell you if she was going anywhere?"   
  
"No sweetie. In fact, I didn't know she was gone. Probably took off somewhere with her friends." Chibi-Usa walked into the kitchen where she could see Ikuko pulling out the freshly baked cookies from the oven.   
  
"Maybe you're right." Chibi-Usa sat down on a stool across the counter from Ikuko waiting patiently for the cookies. "Mmmm...those smell so good! I wish Usagi could be here to smell them! I could just imagine her drooling everywhere on the counter!" Chibi-Usa chuckled slightly at her joke and Ikuko joined in.  
  
"Well, speak for yourself! You're not the one who has to clean up all that drool!" She smiled down at Chibi-Usa. "You know Chibi-Usa, Usagi has told me about Mamoru being sick recently. Maybe he'd like a batch of freshly baked cookies, ne?"  
  
"Of course!" Chibi-Usa shot out of the stool. 'How stupid of me! I should have known she'd go to Mamo-chan's! But, she was in so much pain when I left! How could she possibly have made it to Mamo-chan's?' She looked worriedly at Ikuko. "You're right. I bet he would love some. I'll take them now." Ikuko nodded and grabbed a zip-lock bag from a drawer in the counter. Chibi-Usa shifted her weight back and forth as she waited, not so patiently, for Ikuko to hand her the small bag. Ikuko's eyes lit up.  
  
"I almost forgot! We should write Mamoru a nice note, ne?" Chibi-Usa only nodded. Waiting was not one of her strong points. "There. Here Chibi-Usa, I signed it for Usagi because she isn't here, but I think Mamoru would like it if you signed it personally." She smiled at her niece and handed her the pen and paper. Chibi-Usa read the neatly written note.   
  
"Mamoru: Here is something to help you feel better. We hope you like them! With lots of Love, Usagi and..." The rest was blank, waiting for Chibi-Usa to finish her signing. Being careful to be neat Chibi-Usa handed the note and the pen back to Ikuko. Already Ikuko had cut a piece of ribbon to tie the note on to the bag. She took the pen and punched a hole in the bag and the punched a similar hole in the corner of the note. Taking the ribbon she strung it through the two holes and tied it off with a pretty bow. She handed the bag carefully to Chibi-Usa to take. Once it was in her hands Chibi-Usa took off in a sprint for the front door managing a muffled 'Thank you' as the door slammed behind her.  
  
***   
  
She rolled back her sleeve, revealing the fresh burns. "Well, it all started this morning. I was boiling a pot of water when I accidentally bumped the handle of it. It tipped over and spilled all over my arm. I just burned it a little, that's all." She smiled to emphasize the idea of her being all right. He didn't look too believing.  
  
"Usako, do you take me for an idiot? I'm mean, honestly! I can put two and two together. You cried out when I hugged you from behind. What caused that? And how come you haven't dressed those burns? They look serious." Usagi didn't answer. "Usagi..." His voice warned her.  
  
"Mamo-chan, why don't you tell me why you're out of bed? After all, you were in bad condition the other day, it looked like it would have taken you weeks to get better."  
  
"Why are *you* changing the subject?"  
  
She lightly tugged on his arm to direct him back to his room. "Because Mamo-chan, I worry about you. You need your rest."  
  
"Fine Tsukino Usagi," Her eyes shut at the sound of her full name being used, "I won't even bother to worry about you. You obviously know what you're doing." He climbed back into his bed with his back towards her.  
  
This hurt so much worse than any physical pain. She began to back away from the stubborn man, tears shimmering at the base of her eyes. Her back hit the wall behind her and she took in a sharp breath as the pain took over her body again. She looked up to see if Mamoru had noticed. If he did, he didn't seem to care. She almost collapsed to the floor, as both the physical and emotional pain was almost too much to bear. Taking in a deep breath, she managed to sound normal as she said a few more words before she left. "Ok Mamoru, I don't want you to worry about me. Right now I want you to get a good rest. I'll talk to you later. Ja." He answered her back with a grunt. Nodding, she turned and walked away making sure to shut the door behind her as she left.  
  
Once inside the elevator, she collapsed to the floor, allowing the pain to swallow her and take her to the place of darkness. Maybe, if she was lucky enough, she would be able to stay there for a long while.  
  
***   
  
"So, are we agreed?" The black cat looked around the group. Everyone had an unsure look on their face, but she could also see the understanding behind their eyes.   
  
"Hai Luna. We understand. If, in one week, Usagi doesn't seem to improve any, we'll inform Mamoru. But..." Makoto trailed off.   
  
Luna looked expectantly towards the brunette. "But?"  
  
She sighed. "I don't want to hurt Usagi by breaking her trust. No matter what happens, we wait until the end of one week to decided if Mamoru should be told anything." The others silently nodded in agreement.  
  
Luna hesitated. She wasn't sure if Usagi would make it to the end of the week, but she had no choice. "Ok, I'll go with that. Mamoru won't know anything for at least one more week." The tension lifted from the room. Inside everyone was relieved that they had a plan formed incase anything went wrong.  
  
***   
  
Chibi-Usa reached her arm up, barely able to hit the button without having to go up on her tiptoes. "Why do those things have to be so high?" She mumbled under her breath. A 'ding' informed her that an elevator was about to approach and she patiently waited for the doors to open, what was inside she didn't expect. Her cookies dropped from her hand when she saw Usagi lying helplessly on the floor; the position she was in didn't look too comfortable. Her body was parallel to the doors and her knees were bent slightly facing the direction of Chibi-Usa. Her left arm was sprawled across the ground, while her right hand fell across her body. At the waist, Usagi's body twisted in the other direction ending with her head facing away from Chibi-Usa. In the Reflection Chibi-Usa could see Usagi's face looked as if she were in pain, her eyes shut tightly, her mouth slightly open to aid her already labored breathing.  
  
"Momma!" Chibi-Usa ran inside the elevator just as the doors were closing. She lightly shook her mother and Usagi began to stir slightly. "Come on Momma! Wake up! We've got to get you to a doctor."   
  
Usagi's eyes slightly opened. Looking up at her worried daughter's face she smiled. "Chibi-Usa..." The word came out whispered. "It's all right, I'll be ok. I was just a little tired. If you could help me home I can rest, and by tomorrow I'll be fine again."   
  
Chibi-Usa nodded, not buying her mother's story, but knowing that she couldn't do anything to change her mind. Usagi could be just as stubborn as Mamoru could be and Mamoru could be very stubborn. "Here Momma, let me help you up." She allowed her mother to take her hand as she pulled as hard as she could to lift her from the ground. Reaching over, she pressed the "Door Open" button on the elevator and helped Usagi to walk outside and into the warm summer day, leaving the cookies with the neatly written note behind. Chibi-Usa sighed as she looked at the crowded sidewalk and back up at her mother's groggy face. 'This is going to be a long walk home.'   
  
***   
  
"Usagi mumbled her thanks to Chibi-Usa when they had reached back to their house at around 5:30 in the evening. Walking painfully up the stairs and into her room, Usagi collapsed on the bed and again her breathing became labored.   
  
***   
  
Usagi walked off to a corner of her mind. The darkness surrounded her, the moon hanging high in the sky, and yet it was amazingly bright with the sun shining down at her from the other. The area around her was beautiful. Small plants that one could have only found back on the moon grew near the sides of a river about 6 feet wide, and Usagi didn't know how deep. It made a soft trickling noise as it flowed off into the distance. Daisies were found scattered in the grass beneath her as well as the rose bushes, each holding different colored flowers. The small dogwood trees had pink flowers growing by the lush green leaves covering the thin branches. Somewhere nearby, Usagi guessed in the evergreen trees not far off, she could hear the sound of birds calling out to each other.  
  
Her attention came back to the river. It was like none she had ever seen. Instead of coming out of a lake or running into the sea, it started off like an ocean. A small amount of sand started off at the mouth of the river and headed down on a small slant and stretched out as wide as the river did. From the water's edge, the river gradually got deeper the further out it went. It wove its way off into the distance where it ended up flowing into a glowing white light. Usagi had guessed it was a river that, if you allowed yourself to be swept away by the current, would take you away from life. So basically, she decided, the light at the other end would take you to the next world. Usagi had no plan to use the river anytime soon, but she had no intention of leaving this beautiful world, this part of her mind, if all that awaited her back in reality was pain and suffering.   
  
Along with all of this was the ability to hear other's thoughts and words. Right now she could hear anything that her friends or family was thinking or saying, if she thought about them. Her mind wandered to Mamoru. He was still asleep, she realized, when she heard him call out Chibi-Usa's name slightly. He began laughing as if he was having fun, but nowhere in there did she ever find out if she had been a part of it. From that, she guessed, she hadn't been and quickly let her mind drift somewhere else. She would not allow the pain of her heart to follow her into such a beautiful place.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to Chibi-Usa. The pink-haired girl was eating something yummy, Usagi gathered, when her words came through. "Auntie Ikuko, I didn't get the chance to try these at Mamoru's, but they're delicious! I wish my momma was as good a cook as you!" Chibi-Usa's thoughts suddenly picked up at the mention of Usagi. 'I hope Momma is ok. She didn't look so good when we came home. Maybe I should go tell the scouts about it.' She began talking to Usagi's mom again. "Auntie Ikuko, I want Usagi's friends to try these before I eat them all. May I take some to them?" Usagi smiled sadly to herself forgetting about everyone, she knew what the scouts would say, she didn't need to waste time listening to them when she should be enjoying the scenery around her.   
  
She lifted her arms behind her head. This place was just so beautiful and peaceful. How it was a part of her mind, Usagi had no idea. But she wouldn't concern herself with that. Instead, she closed her eyes and absorbed the sounds around her.  
  
***   
  
All eyes turned up towards the paper doors as the slid open. The two cats inside made sure not to speak as a shadowy figure stepped in. "Hello Minna. I have cookies for you." Chibi-Usa stepped away from the door and shut it behind her as everyone let out the breath they had been holding.  
  
Rei stood up angry and put her hand on her hips. "What did you think you were doing? Were you trying to scare us to death? And why aren't you handing over those cookies??" She pulled the package from Chibi-Usa's hands and handed it over to Ami to place on the table. Rei calmed down again. "How is that baka doing?"   
  
Chibi-Usa looked away from all of them. She suddenly didn't want to do this. "Come one Chibi-Usa." Haruka tried to press it out of her. No response was given. "Chib..."  
  
"Oh Minna! She's not so good!" The room fell quiet as they waited for her to continue. "You see, earlier today I went out to ice cream with the rest of her family. Usagi had stayed home, and I offered to stay with her, but she told me to go have one for her. So I went. When I came home, I helped Auntie Ikuko to bake some cookies and while they were cooking I went upstairs to see how Usagi was doing. I searched for a long while, but I couldn't find her. For some reason I didn't even think about the fact that she might go to Mamoru's. But when Auntie Ikuko told me I should take a batch of cookies to him because he wasn't feeling so good it hit me. I took off to go find Usagi, and when I was about to get on the elevator to go up to Mamoru's floor...I saw...I saw..." She covered her tear-filled eyes, willing the vision of Usagi on the floor of the elevator to go away.  
  
"Take your time Chibi-Usa." Minako put a comforting hand on Chibi-Usa's shoulder.  
  
She took in a deep breath, her voice still shaky from her sudden outburst. "I saw Usagi unconscious on the floor. She was twisted into a weird position and her breathing wasn't normal at all. It almost sounded like it was hard for her to actually breath. I was so worried that she had hurt herself even more."   
  
"Chibi-Usa, can you tell me how Usagi looked when you found her?" Chibi-Usa nodded and began explaining it. Ami's hand had flown to her mouth as Chibi-Usa told them just how Usagi had been positioned when she had found her. "After I recovered I ran to her and woke her up. She was very sleepy and she told me to help her home. She said that she'd be all right by tomorrow." Chibi-Usa shook her head. "I don't believe her. But anyways, when we got back home she walked upstairs to go to sleep and I came here not long after."  
  
Luna looked up at all of them. "I'm not sure if we can wait a week Minna. I'm afraid Usagi might not last that long."  
  
"What do you mean Luna?" Chibi-Usa stared questioningly down at the black fur ball.  
  
"We had decided to watch over Usagi's condition for one week. At the end, we would decide whether we should tell Mamoru about the situation or not. But I don't know if we can risk waiting that long." Luna looked back at the other scouts. "You know I'm right Minna."  
  
Chibi-Usa shook her head. "No Luna, we made a promise to her. It might be easy for you to go against her wish because you didn't promise her, but we can't do that." The others mumbled what seemed like an agreement causing Luna to sigh. Obviously she wasn't going to win this battle.   
  
"Fine, we'll continue with the original plan. I hope all of you know what you're doing."  
  
***   
  
She silently opened the door and stepped inside. All she wanted to do was check on Usagi's condition and then she'd go to bed. "Usagi?" She whispered. "Usagi, are you awake?" All that answered was the sound of heavy breathing. She wasn't going to try and wake her up, so she turned and left the room, shutting the door softly behind her. The scouts had promised to stop by tomorrow at around two o'clock to check up on Usagi. Chibi-Usa had to wait until then to know just how serious this was getting. As she climbed into her bed, she mumbled softly to her self before she fell asleep. "I hate waiting."  
  
***   
  
Chibi-Usa walked quietly into Usagi's room. It was one o'clock in the afternoon now, and Usagi had slept since they had gotten home the day before, unless she had woken up some time while she had gone to visit the scouts. "Momma, it's time to wake up! Auntie Ikuko made some lunch!" When she got no response, Chibi-Usa walked closer to the bed. "Usagi, come on. This isn't funny! Everyone is waiting downstairs for you. Even Luna! Heaven forbid she isn't with Artemis." She began giggling at her comment, but Usagi made no sound. "Usagi? The scouts will be here to check up on you in about an hour! You need to get ready for them!" Chibi-Usa crawled up on the bed and examined Usagi's face. Burn marks had spread onto her neck and cheeks as well as the edges around her hair. "Usagi?" She placed a hand on Usagi's arm. Her skin felt cold and clammy underneath Chibi-Usa's warm hands. Looking up, Chibi-Usa noticed a blue tint in Usagi's lips and she began to notice the slight shivering of Usagi's body underneath her. "Usagi?! Momma, wake up!!" She desperately began shaking Usagi. "Momma! Momma, please wake up! MOMMA!" She tried shaking harder, but nothing happened. "Usagi?! USAGI?! PLEASE USAGI!" Her voice cried out desperately trying to get a reaction from the blonde-haired girl, but failed. Her tears fell unmercifully down her cheeks as she crawled off the bed and ran to the door. "LUNA! AUTNIE IKUKO!!!"   
  
"Chibi-Usa?" The calm voice of Usagi's mother floated up to Chibi-Usa. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"  
  
The black cat came running up the stairs and down the hallway to Usagi's room but stopped to examine the sobbing girl. "It's Usagi!! She won't wake up!! I've tried everything!!" Luna ran past Chibi-Usa and into the room. She could hear the black cat trying her hardest to wake up her charge.  
  
"Oh, she's always been hard to wake up Chibi-Usa. I'll be up as soon as I put this glass I just dried away." She heard the soft footsteps of Ikuko fading away as she walked back into the kitchen.  
  
Turning, Chibi-Usa, again, tried to wake Usagi up. "Usagi! Wake up! No more games! You win! You have me worried! Usagi!" She collapsed on top of her body and began sobbing uncontrollably.   
  
"This is not good. The crystal." Luna stared at the locket now on top of Usagi's dresser. A dull glow that emanated from the crystal was pulsing slowly. "The crystal isn't as bright as it should be." Luna looked up at Usagi's face. "Something isn't right." Luna took off out Usagi's slightly open window. The other scouts need to hear about this.  
  
"Luna! Luna don't leave Usagi like this!! LUNA!!!"   
  
"Chibi-Usa, let me wake Usagi up, ne?" Chibi-Usa turned to see Ikuko standing in the doorway. "Ok Usagi, either you wake up now or you don't get any of the casserole I made." Her smile turned into a frown of frustration. "And I made cheesecake, too. I'll let Chibi-Usa eat it all." Still nothing. "Usagi, you really have me worried now. It's time to wake up, ne?" She walked over to her daughter. "Come on Usagi..." Her hand flew to her mouth as she noticed Usagi's trembling form and blue-tinted lips.   
  
"She won't wake up Auntie Ikuko." Chibi-Usa could talk no more as the tears began choking her voice.  
  
"Usagi look! You made Chibi-Usa cry! Usagi, you're worrying me! Please wake up! USAGI!!" Ikuko fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, her hard sobs almost drowned out Chibi-Usa's.   
  
A loud cry of pain filled the room causing both sobbing people to look up at the pain-filled face Usagi was making. Her mouth hung open ready to let another cry pierce through the room.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Well, I think I'll leave it there. What did all of you think? Is it bad? Good? Do I need to finish the next part any time soon? *Grins* Torture is so much fun! I'll try to get the next chapter out within the next...hmmm...well, it all depends on Juno. As soon as she gets the next chapter of Bewitched out, I'll start working on the next part! Until then! Ja!  
  
~Merc  



End file.
